Method and Apparatus for Forwarding Non-Consecutive Data Blocks in Enhanced Uplink Transmissions

1. A method of receiving uplink data by a wireless network device, the method comprising: receiving uplink signals using at least one hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) entity of a wireless network device; sending, by the wireless network device using at least one HARQ entity, positive acknowledgement messages or negative acknowledgement messages over a downlink signaling channel in response to the received uplink signals; recovering protocol data units (PDUs) by the wireless network device from the received uplink signals; storing the recovered PDUs in at least one reordering buffer of the wireless network device; starting a timer of the wireless network device in response to identifying an out-of-order PDU based on at least sequence numbers of the recovered PDUs; and on a condition that a missing PDU is not recovered before the timer expires, delivering by the wireless network device at least one recovered PDU to higher layers in response to the timer expiring.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless network device is a Node-B.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the recovered PDUs are medium access control (MAC) or radio link control (RLC) PDUs.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one reordering buffer is associated with a radio link control (RLC) entity.

5. A wireless network device for receiving uplink data, the wireless network device comprising: circuitry configured to receive uplink signals using at least one hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) entity; wherein the circuitry is further configured to send, using the at least one HARQ entity, positive acknowledgement messages or negative acknowledgement messages over a downlink signaling channel in response to the received uplink signals; wherein the circuitry is further configured to recover protocol data units (PDUs) from the received uplink signals and to store the recovered PDUs in at least one reordering buffer; wherein the circuitry is further configured to start a timer in response to identifying an out-of-order PDU based on at least sequence numbers of the recovered PDUs; and the circuitry is further configured on a condition that a missing PDU is not recovered before the timer expires, to deliver at least one PDU to higher layers in response to the timer expiring.

6. The wireless network device of claim 5 wherein the wireless network device is a Node-B.

7. The wireless network device of claim 5 wherein the recovered PDUs are medium access control (MAC) or radio link control (RLC) PDUs.

8. The wireless network device of claim 5 wherein the at least one reordering buffer is associated with a radio link control (RLC) entity.